Veteran Lewis Hamilton returned to occupy the highest place on the podium in Formula 1 after a hiatus of 686 days without victories. In a display of pure strategy at the Spanish Grand Prix this Sunday, the driver overtook George Russell, who had started at the front. Third place fell into Lando Norris’ lap in the final moments, thanks to an unexpected breakdown in Kimi Antonelli’s car, who is leading the current season.
The last time the seven-time world champion popped the champagne of victory was at the 2024 Belgian GP, accumulating a drought of exactly one year, ten months and 17 days. At 41 years of age, the Briton has achieved an impressive 106 victories in the highest category of motorsport, consolidating an absolute record that further distances him from his historical opponents. Furthermore, the result on the Catalan track isolates him as the biggest winner on the circuit with seven trophies, leaving behind the legend Michael Schumacher.
For the Ferrari team, the final checkered flag represented an immense relief as they broke an uncomfortable fast of a year and a half without climbing to the top step. The Maranello team hasn’t tasted triumph since Carlos Sainz won it in Mexico, back in October 2024. With this weekend’s success, the traditional Italian team extends its historical hegemony and reaches 249 victories, remaining isolated at the top of the category’s statistics.
Check out what the results table looked like after the flag in Spain
The table below details the definitive positions of all competitors who crossed the finish line on the Catalan circuit.
Summary of the facts that defined the course of the test
First curves define the initial pace of the hands
As soon as the red lights went out, George Russell defended his pole advantage well and rounded the first corner ahead of the field. Right behind, Kimi Antonelli tried to tackle the Ferrari car, but Lewis Hamilton closed the door and secured momentary second place. The rest of the leading group did not undergo any major changes, with Lando Norris maintaining fourth place, while Max Verstappen had to sweat to regain fifth place after losing two positions in the opening meters.
In the intermediate field, Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto faced difficulties in the start and fell from 12th to 17th place, getting stuck behind Oliver Bearman. Another who had a disastrous start was Isack Hadjar, who wasted his excellent sixth position on the grid and quickly fell back to 14th place.
War in the pits dictates the pace of overtaking
The choice of compounds dictated the pace of the first stint, with the Ferrari car opting for soft tires against the race leader’s medium rubber. This difference allowed Russell to open up a 1.5 second margin right away, which jumped to two seconds on the fourth lap. Noticing the accelerated wear and tear, the Italian strategists called on their main driver to change on lap 12.
Putting on new hard tires, the veteran returned his car to the track in seventh place, watching the rear of Oscar Piastri. Mercedes wasted no time and called on the leader in the next stint to install the same type of compound. The Briton’s return from the German team took place in fifth place, maintaining a two-second gap over his rival in red.
Mandatory stops by Lando Norris and the young championship leader lifted the British duo back to the top of the table, separated by less than two seconds. Charles Leclerc tried to extend his stint as much as possible, but had to visit the mechanics on lap 17. This move returned the lead of the race to Russell’s hands, with the number 44 Ferrari always in his wake.
Dangerous approach forces new pit stops
Over a block of seven passes, the Mercedes pointer struggled to try to open a comfortable window, parking the advantage at around 2.2 seconds. Further back, Antonelli picked up a blistering pace and cut four seconds behind second place in the blink of an eye. To avoid the imminent attack, the Ferrari wall acted quickly and brought its car in for a new change on lap 28.
Now equipped with yellow stripe rubber, the seven-time champion re-emerged in seventh position, stuck in the path of Oscar Piastri, overtaking him in the very next lap. McLaren’s competitor, at that moment, was focused on hunting Charles Leclerc’s other Ferrari in the direct fight for fifth place.
Intervention by the race director changes the fate of the trophy
The red car’s climb continued when Max Verstappen pitted in pass 30, handing over fifth place on a plate. Shortly afterwards, the overtaking of the Monegasque teammate was completed successfully, while the fight for the lead heated up between the two Mercedes cars. The call from the German team to change the leader’s tires returned the momentary vice-leadership to the hands of the Italian team.
Trying the trick, the three-pointed star garage brought forward the service on Antonelli’s car in turn 38. This placed the two Maranello cars in the provisional first positions, until the Monegasque also made his regulatory stop. The scenario changed drastically on lap 41, when Fernando Alonso’s engine went out and forced the Spaniard to pull over into the escape area.
The stewards immediately activated the virtual safety car, creating the perfect window for a pit stop without losing significant time. Ferrari took advantage of the golden chance and carried out the third tire change for its main driver, who returned to the asphalt with 1.9 seconds ahead of his Mercedes rival exactly at the moment the track was released.
Mechanical breakdowns mark the final kilometers in Catalonia
With tires in better condition, the new leader needed just eight laps to achieve a comfortable margin of 6.6 seconds. Ten laps later, the gap to second place already reached the 13-second mark, consolidating the victory. Without pace, the former race leader ended up becoming easy prey for his own teammate, losing position on lap 61.
The final stretch seemed set, with McLaren number 4 pushing for a place on the podium. The drama reached its peak on lap 63, when the championship leader’s car went out for good due to mechanical failure, handing third place to Lando Norris. Amidst the localized yellow flag, the streak of bad luck also hit Charles Leclerc, who took his single-seater to the garages citing a breakdown in the steering system.
